Re: hard disk terminology

To: misc_(_at_)_openbsd_(_dot_)_org

Subject: Re: hard disk terminology

From: Antoine Jacoutot <ajacoutot_(_at_)_lphp_(_dot_)_org>

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 17:48:01 +0200

On Sunday 13 June 2004 10:18, Robert Storey wrote:
> I'm just wondering if there is some technical reason for this. Why is it
> impossible to create sub-partitions named /dev/wd0b and /dev/wd0c?
/dev/wd0b (b partition) is historically used for swap.
/dev/wd0c (c partition) represents your whole disk.
>From disklabel(8):
disklabel only supports up to a maximum of 15 partitions, `a' through
`p', excluding `c'. The `c' partition is reserved for the entire physi-
cal disk. By convention, the `a' partition of the boot disk is the root
partition, and the `b' partition of the boot disk is the swap partition,
but all other letters can be used in any order for any other partitions
as desired.
Antoine